Rotary railway car coupler structure



Nov. E, i965 A. F. BAKER ROTARY RAILWAY CAR COUPLER STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. l5, 1964 I NVEN TOR. ljw FMT BY Nov. 39, i965 A. F. BAKER ROTARY RAILWAY CAR GOUPLER STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 15, 1964 Nov. 30, i965 A. F. BAKER 3,220,563

ROTARY RAILWAY GAR COUPLER STRUCTURE Filed Aug. l5, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 'f .35 .32 0 i l/zvenm' ga/ger United States Patent O 3,220,563 ROTARY RAILWAY CAR COUPLER STRUCTURE Arthur F. Baker, Calumet City, Ill., amignor to Amsted Industries Incorporated, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 389,284 8 Claims. (Cl. 213-62) This invention relates to conventional automatic railway car couplers and more particularly to rotary couplers adapted for use on rotary dump cars of the type commonly employed in the transportation of coal.

Prior to the use of rotary couplers, it was necessary to uncouple a car from a train of cars to permit rotary movement of the car to an inverted dumping position. By providing each car of a train of cars with a rotary coupler engaging a fixed coupler on an adjacent car, it is possible to rotate each car in a train without uncoupling the cars.

An object of the invention resides in the provision of a rotary railway car coupler structure which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and reliable in use.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a rotary coupler adapted to be readily assembled for use, or disassembled for repair or replacement of parts.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a rotary coupler embodying means for detachably connecting a coupler shank to a head portion of a yoke to provide angular and/or rotational movements of the coupler relative to the yoke.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a rotary coupler structure in which the head portion of the yoke is provided with upper and lower flanges for engagement by a rotary collar pivotally connected to the coupler shank.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a rotary coupler structure in which the rotary collar is supported for rotational movement upon a yoke head carrier secured to a striker provided on the end of a center sill.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a rotary coupler arrangement in which the end of the coupler shank is formed with a convex spherical surface seated against a concave Spherical surface provided on the forward end of the yoke.

The invention embodies other novel features, details of construction and arrangement of parts which are hereinafter set forth in the specification and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof, wherein:

FIGURE l is a fragmentary top plan view, partly in section, showing a rotary coupler structure embodying features of the invention, the part in section being taken along the line 1 1 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal -section taken along the line 2 2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse section taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary transverse section showing the means provided to support the back end of the yoke.

FIGURE 5 is a detail top plan view of a rotary draft collar.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of the draft collar.

FIGURE 7 is an end elevation of the draft collar.

FIGURE 8 is a detail top plan view of the yoke.

FIGURE 9 is a side elevation of the yoke.

FIGURE 10 is an end elevation of the yoke.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of the invention, the rotary railway car coupler structure is shown as comprising a striker 2 secured to one end of a center sill 3 provided on a car body. The striker comprises an arcuate top wall 4 and side walls 6 having lateral flanges 7. A yoke head carrier 8 i-s secured to the anges 7 by rivets 9 and is formed with an arcuate concave bearing surface 11 to support a rotary draft collar 12 for rotary and axial movements.

The butt end of a coupler shank 13 is pivotally connected within the collar 12 by a pin 14 which is secured in fixed position on the collar by a bolt 16. The end of the shank is formed with a convex spherical surface 17 seated against a concave spherical surface 18 formed in the head portion 19 of a yoke 21. The head portion 19 is provided with upper and lower draft lugs 22 and 23, respectively, for abutting engagement against an annular inturned ange 24 on the collar 12.

The striker 2 is provided with a carrier housing 26 containing a plurality of helical compression springs 27 to resiliently support a coupler carrier 28 which coacts with the yoke 21 to maintain the coupler shank 13 in a substantially horizontal plane. A conventional automatic coupler head 29 is provided on the shank 13 for coupling engagement with a coupler on an adjacent car.

The yoke 21 is provided with spaced upper and lower straps 31 and 32 extending rearwardly from the head portion 19 to merge with a rear abutment wall 33. As shown in FIGURE 4, the lower strap 32 is slidably supported upon a plate 34 secured to the center sill 3 adjacent the rear wall 33. The yoke 21 is provided with a front abutment wall 36 for engagement against a front follower 37 which is normally urged against front stop lugs 38 on the striker side walls 6 by means of a conventional resilient cushioning device 39. The yoke 21 is engaged against rotational movement relative to the center sill 3 by transverse walls 41 on the sill.

I claim:

1. In a rotary railway car coupler structure, a center sill, a striker secured to one end of said sill and comprising an arcuate top wall merging with vertical side walls, a yoke head carrier extending between and secured to said side walls, said top wall and yoke head carrier having diametrically opposed cyclindrical inner surfaces, a rotary draft collar journaled for rotational and axial movement along said inner surfaces, a coupler shank pivotally connected to said collar, a yoke having a head portion provided with upper and lower draft lugs, said draft collar having an annular inturned flange in abutting engagement against said draft lugs, said head portion and coupler shank having complementary abutting concave-convex buihng surfaces.

2. In a rotary railway car coupler structure, a center sill, a striker secured to one end of said sill and comprising an arcuate top wall merging with vertical side walls, a yoke head carrier extending between and secured to said side walls, said top wall and yoke head carrier having diametrically opposed cylindrical inner surfaces, a rotary draft collar journaled for rotational and axial movement along said inner surfaces, a coupler shank pivotally connected to said collar, a yoke having a head portion provided with upper and lower draft lugs, said draft collar having an annular inturned ange in abutting engagement against said draft lugs, said head portion and coupler shank having complementary abutting concave-convex buing surfaces, said yoke having front and rear abutment walls interconnected by upper and lower straps, a front follower engaging the front abutment wall, front stop lugs on the striker engaging said front follower, and resilient cushioning means engaging the front follower.

3. In a rotary coupler structure, a yoke comprising a head portion and a back wall interconnected by spaced upper and lower straps, upper and lower draft lugs on said head portion, the forward end lof said head portion having a spherical concave buing surface centrally disposed between said draft lugs.

4. In a rotary coupler structure, a yoke comprising a head portion and a back wall interconnected by spaced upper and lower straps, upper and lower draft lugs on said head portion, the forward end of said head portion having a spherical concave buing surface centrally disposed between said draft lugs, a collar having an inturned annular flange engaging said draft lugs, and a coupler shank pivotally connected to said collar and having a spherical convex surface engaging said concave bung surface.

5. In a rotary coupler structure, a yoke comprising a head portion and a back wall interconnected by spaced upper and lower straps, upper and lower draft lugs on said head portion, the forward end of said head portion having a spherical concave bufing surface centrally disposed between said draft lugs, a collar having an inturned annular ange engaging said draft lugs, and a coupler shank pivotally connected to said collar and having a spherical convex surface engaging said concave buling surface, and means supporting said collar for rotational and axial movement.

6. In a rotary coupler structure, a yoke comprising a head portion and a back wall interconnected by spaced upper and lower straps, upper and lower draft lugs on said head portion, the forward end of said head portion having a spherical concave bung surface centrally dis posed between said draft lugs, a collar having an inturned annular ange engaging said draft lugs, and a coupler shank pivotally connected to said collar and having a spherical convex surface engaging said concave builng surface, and means supporting said collar for rotational and axial movement, said means comprising a striker and a yoke head carrier.

7. In a rotary coupler structure, a yoke comprising a head portion and a back wall interconnected by spaced upper and lower straps, upper and lower draft lugs on said head portion, the forward end of said head portion having a spherical concave bulling surface centrally disposed hetween said draft lugs, a collar having an inturned annular flange engaging said draft lugs, and a coupler shank pivotally connected to said collar and having a spherical convex surface engaging said concave bufng surface, and means supporting said collar for rotational and axial movement, Isaid means comprising a striker and a yoke head carrier, said head portion and draft lugs having arcuate outer surfaces concentric with Vsaid inturned annular flange.

8. In a rotary coupler structure, a yoke comprising a head portion and a back wall interconnected by spaced upper and lower straps, upper and lower draft lugs on said head portion, the forward end of said head portion having a spherical concave bufling surface centrally disposed between said draft lugs, a collar having an inturned annular flange engaging said draft lugs, and a coupler shank pivotally connected to said collar and having a spherical convex surface engaging said concave bufng surface, and means supporting said collar for rotational and axial movement, said means comprising a striker and a yoke head carrier, said head portion and draft lugs having arcuate outer surfaces concentric with said inturned annular flange, and a coupler carrier coacting with said yoke to maintain said coupler shank in a substantially horizontal plane.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A ROTARY RAILWAY CAR COUPLER STRUCTURE, A CENTER SILL, A STRIKER SECURED TO ONE END OF SAID SILL AND COMPRISING AN ARCUATE TOP WALL MERGING WITH VERTICAL SIDE WALLS, A YOKE HEAD CARRIER EXTENDING BETWEEN AND SECURED TO SAID SIDE WALLS, SAID TOP WALL AND YOKE HEAD CARRIER HAVING DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED CYLINDRICAL INNER SURFACES, A ROTARY DRAFT COLLAR JOURNALED FOR ROTATIONAL AND AXIAL MOVEMENT ALONG SAID INNER SURFACES, A COUPLER SHANK PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID COLLAR, A YOKE HAVING A HEAD PORTION PROVIDED WITH UPPER AND LOWER DRAFT LUGS, SAID DRAFT COLLAR HAVING AN ANNULAR INTURNED FLANGE IN ABUTTING ENGAGEMENT AGAINST SAID DRAFT LUGS, SAID HEAD PORTION AND COUPLER SHANK HAVING COMPLEMENTARY ABUTTING CONCAVO-CONVEX BUFFING SURFACES. 